Mossberg 590 Special Purpose (50665)

Quick Overview

The Mossberg 590 Special Purpose is a 12-gauge, pump-action shotgun with a 20-inch barrel and a full-length synthetic SpeedFeed stock. Its three-inch chamber permits the use of a wide range of ammunition, while its magazine tube provides a generous nine-shot capacity. For some, these are selling points in their own right, but the real draw – aside from its proven military performance – is the inclusion of several high-end features, including its factory-installed heat shield. Perfect for a range of shooting applications from hunting to home defense, the Mossberg 590 Special Purpose is one of the company's best-selling firearms for a reason.

Details

O.F. Mossberg & Sons, more commonly known as Mossberg, is an American arms manufacturer that was founded in 1919 by Swedish-born Oscar Frederick Mossberg alongside his two sons. Mossberg came to the United States in 1886, where he worked in a bicycle factory owned by Iver Johnson. Though the company was founded on the Mossberg Brownie – a four-barreled handgun chambered in .22 LR – it is now known the world over for producing exceptional rifles and shotguns like the new Mossberg 590 Special Purpose.

As one may guess based on its name, the Mossberg 590 Special Purpose is a shotgun that traces its lineage all the way back to 1961 when the Mossberg 500 Series made its debut. The Mossberg 500 Series is a series of shotguns that represents a range of varying, hammerless, pump-action shotguns, each of which features the same receiver. Variations are generally found in the barrel length, bore size, choke options, capacity, sights and stock/fore-end materials. The 500 Series has always been marketed as a series of multi-purpose shotguns designed for use in less-than-favorable conditions. As such, all Mossberg 500s feature interchangeable barrels, which provide for a number of different configurations that can quickly turn a 500 into a field gun, a slug gun, a defensive gun or a sport gun, depending on the needs of the shooter. Additionally, they are all easily disassembled to allow for easy cleaning and simple maintenance. The versatility of the line has even earned it a spot with military forces the world over, often as the Model 590A1, which typically features an aluminum trigger guard and safety as well as a heavy barrel.

One of the greatest selling points for the Mossberg 500 Series, which includes the Mossberg 590 Special Purpose, is the fact that they all boast MIL-SPEC performance. The Mossberg 500 Series is the only shotgun that has passed the United States Military's MIL-SPEC 3443G standards, which just serves to illustrate the superior performance and reliability associated with the Mossberg 590 Special Purpose – must-have qualities for any shotgun.

The Mossberg 590 Special Purpose shotgun features a 20-inch barrel alongside an overall length of 40 7/8 inches. In place of a pistol grip, the 590 Special Purpose adds a full-length synthetic SpeedFeed stock with a 13 7/8 length of pull and a slot for an added shotshell – just in case. If safety is a concern, you will be delighted to find that the 590 Special Purpose also includes a receiver-mounted tang safety that is easily accessible by both left- and right-handed shooters. This is joined by the cocking indicator button, which allows you to visually verify whether or not the shotgun is cocked. Its generous nine-shot capacity is more than enough for most applications, and made possible by the inclusion of an extended magazine tube. Other noteworthy features include a matte blue finish for protection against rust and corrosion, a bead front sight, the aforementioned factory-installed heat shield and a light, synthetic tactical fore-end.

I admit it, I like Mossbergs a lot more than Remingtons. Maybe it's the easy to reach safety, or the accessible slide release. Whatever it is, Mossberg definitely has made its name in the world of shotguns, and the 590 series is definitely its flagship product.